Classroom Connections with Aida Salazar

TODAY'S READ

The Moon Within

Aida Salazar, Author

Arthur A. Levine Books (February 26, 2019)
ISBN: 978-1338283372

For ages 8 and up

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Purchase via Indiebound.org






SYNOPSIS

Celi Rivera's life swirls with questions. About her changing body. Her first attraction to a boy. And her best friend's exploration of what it means to be genderfluid. But most of all, her mother's insistence she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives. It's an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and her community have reclaimed, but Celi promises she will NOT be participating. Can she find the power within herself to take a stand for who she wants to be?


A PEEK INSIDE

Click on image to enlarge.

Text copyright © 2019 by Aida Salazar, from The Moon Within (Arthur A. Levine Books).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aida Salazar is a writer, arts advocate and home-schooling mother whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. She is the author of the forthcoming middle grade verse novels, The Moon Within (Feb. 26, 2019), The Land of the Cranes (Spring, 2020), the forthcoming bio picture book Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Revolutionary Fighter (Spring, 2021) - Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic. Her story, By the Light of the Moon, was adapted into a ballet production by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. She lives with her family of artists in a teal house in Oakland, CA.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS

Why is bringing poetry into the classroom important?

Puerto Rican poet, Piri Thomas, said, “Every child is born a poet.” In our rush to educate for tests, we forget this truth, we forget to fortify our students with the tools to nurture this ability. We scrub away the introspection and invention that children inherently have as they grow and see the world from learning eyes. Poetry offers students a way to slow down, to look inside language, contemplate its meaning, its rhythm, its sound, or the way words are arranged on the page. Poetry allows us entry into the intimate chambers of the heart, to collect and examine emotion and to speak to the worlds that affect those emotions. When students are shown how to write poetically, to essentially remember this truth about themselves, we introduce a compelling way for students to build their creative expression, analysis, and understanding through the poetry they already carry.

How might your book be incorporated into an educational curriculum?

We are currently putting the finishing touches on a teacher’s guide for The Moon Within. It was created by Dr. Carla España and will soon be available on my website and on Scholastic’s website. It is titled Honoring Our Bodies, Connections with Our Ancestors, and Healing through Arts and Community. It offers several ways to incorporate the book—through poetry, social studies, science and literacy.   

[UPDATE: view and download the discussion guide HERE.]

Can you suggest a specific classroom exercise related to your book?

Here is an exercise I selected from the study guide for The Moon Within.  I chose it because it helps children think about metaphor in a very personal way.

Friendship

Re-read the poem “My Best Echo” (page 24). Think of a metaphor for one of your friendships. Write a poem using this metaphor—think about how you can incorporate aspects of the metaphor like sight, sound, smell, touch, and/or taste to help you think of descriptive phrases.

What is a simple, practical tip for teachers when it comes to incorporating poetry in the classroom?

I am a fan of fueling the multiple intelligences of children and so I use different strategies to introduce them to poetry. Below are several examples.

One of the most powerful tools I’ve used for reluctant readers is to listen to audio books or recordings while reading the text. This strategy allows readers to hear the rhythm, tone, and dramatization of a poem which can be fun or emotive. It deepens their connection to the text. Some of my favorites are Nikki Giovanni’s Poetry Speaks to Children and Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Shel Silverstein has a great audio recording of Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Read verse novels out loud as a group. Sometimes, they are written from different perspectives and readers can “play” different characters. Some great candidates for such an exercise are Margarita Engle’s historical fiction novels.

To teach children how to generate poetry there are two books that I would recommend. Juan Felipe Herrera, former Poet Laureate of the United States, has a fantastic generative writing book entitled Jabberwalking in which he provides readers exercises and funny inspiration to free their minds and their writing. Also, Rethinking Schools published a poetry teaching guide, Poetry of Resistance which offers a plethora of exercises to help children generate poetry that responds to issues of social justice.

Biography picture books focused on poets are a wonderful way to introduce children through a social / historical lens. Many of these books are told lyrically while at the same time show the struggles and triumphs of poets and the power they harnessed through their work. In this way there is a twofold benefit, an excellent way to introduce readers to a historical figure but also to a poetic device or practice. Some great examples are books like: Marti’s Song for Freedom by Emma Otheguy; The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate; My Name is Gabriela by Monica Brown; A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés by Pat Mora; Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda & His Muse by Alexandria Giardino; and middle grade readers would enjoy Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan also about the life of Pablo Neruda.

Can you recount a specific instance of when poetry impacted a student or group of students in a positive way?

In 2016, a 15-year-old Black boy, Antwon Rose II, responded to a very common poetry writing exercise known as the "I Am" poem, given to him by his 10th grade teacher. The exercise (below) is used in classrooms across the U.S. to teach students how to get at the multiple ways of writing the self. His teacher asked them to write about an issue larger than himself and he chose police brutality. Two years later, on June 18, 2018, 17-year-old Antwon was shot and killed by police in East Pittsburg. His prophetic poem speaks to the fear and vulnerability that many black and brown boys face because society has deemed them a threat. His poem has inspired me and countless people who believe in working to change the world through poetry.


I AM POEM (Exercise)

First Stanza
I am (2 special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something of curiosity)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (The first line of the poem repeated)

Second Stanza
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I tough (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Third Stanza
I understand (something that is true)
I say (something you believe In)
I dream (something you dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)


I AM NOT WHAT YOU THINK!
by Antwon Rose II

I am confused and afraid
I wonder what path I will take
I hear that there's only two ways out
I see mothers bury their sons
I want my mom to never feel that pain
I am confused and afraid

I pretend all is fine
I feel like I'm suffocating
I touch nothing so I believe all is fine
I worry that it isn't though
I cry no more
I am confused and afraid

I understand people believe I'm just a statistic
I say to them I'm different
I dream of life getting easier
I try my best to make my dream true
I hope that it does
I am confused and afraid 


CONNECT WITH AIDA SALAZAR

Website: http://www.aidasalazar.com/
Twitter: @mimawrites
Instagram: @aida_writes
Facebook: @aidawrites

Look for two more books forthcoming from Aida Salazar:

The Land of the Cranes, a free verse middle grade novel, tells the story of 9-year-old Betita, who believes that she and other migrants follow an Aztec prophecy to fly as free as cranes. When her father is deported to Mexico and she and her mother are detained by ICE, she turns to writing picture poems as her own way to fly above the deplorable conditions that she and other cranes experience while they are caged. (Fall 2020, Scholastic)

Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Revolutionary Fighter is a biography picture book that recounts the life of a woman who dressed as a man and commanded a battalion of revolutionaries in a fight for religious freedom in the Mexican sierras during Mexico’s Cristero Revolution. (Spring 2021, Scholastic)

Many thanks to Aida for participating in our Classroom Connections series for National Poetry Month, and to Arthur A. Levine Books for providing me with a copy of The Moon Within for one randomly selected TLD reader!

To enter, leave a comment below or send an email with the subject "Moon Within Giveaway" to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 2nd, so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Check out the other Classroom Connections posts and giveaways on offer this month by clicking the names below!

• Eric Ode (Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands)
• Kip Wilson (White Rose) 
• Carole Boston Weatherford (The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop)
• Skila Brown (Clackety Track: Poems About Trains) 
• Janet Wong (A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE) 
• Debbie Levy (This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality)
• Susannah Buhrman-Deever (Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse) 
• Charles Ghigna (The Night the Forest Came to Town)
• Margaret Simon (Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape)  
• Patrice Vecchione (Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience)
• Leslie Bulion (Superlative Birds)
• Marilyn Singer (Have You Heard About Lady Bird?: Poems About Our First Ladies and I'm the Big One Now!: Poems About Growing Up) 
• Alice Faye Duncan (A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks)
• Shannon Bramer (Climbing Shadows: Poems for Children)

Digital art © 2018 by Miranda Barnes,
based on a line from "Ghazal" by Tracy K. Smith.

TO FOLLOW:

The best way to keep up with the Classroom Connections series is by subscribing to Today's Little Ditty via email, which you can do in the sidebar. I will also be announcing the posts on social media. Like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter (also in the sidebar) to stay informed that way. Catch up with Classroom Connections posts you may have missed by clicking on the "It's time to INSPIRE" icon in the sidebar, or by visiting my "Poetry in the Classroom" board on Pinterest.



 

Jama Rattigan has rounded up a rousing collection of National Poetry Month activities, projects, and Kidlitosphere celebrations at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has the latest installment in her story about John and Betsy at The Poem Farm. Join her for this week's Poetry Friday roundup.

Spotlight on Amy Ludwig VanDerwater + DMC Challenge

AMY LUDWIG VANDERWATER
                                                                                                Photo: Melissa Deakin

I have always liked little things, and great poems are little things that can make us more of who we are. One great line of poetry can help a person make a big decision or do a kind deed. Poetry truly matters.

                                                                      – Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

(Taken from an interview by Irene Latham on the Nerdy Book Club website.)

I love this quotation because it truly encapsulates what Amy Ludwig VanDerwater stands for... 
                                                       as a poet, 
                                                              as a teacher, 
                                                                      as a person. 

The interview took place in March of 2013, just days before her long-awaited debut collection of children's poetry FOREST HAS A SONG (Clarion, 2013) hit the shelves. Since then, I've joined the ranks of those eagerly anticipating her next several books for children — EVERY DAY BIRDS (Orchard/Scholastic, 2016), READ! READ! READ! (WordSong, 2017), DREAMING OF YOU (Boyds Mills Press, 2018), and WITH MY HANDS (Clarion, date TBA). Fortunately, the wait for something new has been made easier by the fact that Amy is frequently anthologized. I shared her poem "Book Pillows" from Lee Bennett Hopkins' anthology JUMPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES (WordSong, 2015) last September. She is also co-author of the second grade poetry book in the UNITS OF STUDY (Heinemann, 2013) and author of a forthcoming professional book about poetry.

Some of you might recognize Amy's name in association with her blog, The Poem Farm. Poetry enthusiasts, students, librarians, and teachers flock to the Poem Farm because of the care, thought, and heart she puts into each of the poems and lessons she posts. Amy herself has taught writing to teachers and students for eighteen years, making The Poem Farm a comfortable fit for many classrooms. In that same generous spirit, she also welcomes notebook keepers of all types to share their creative process at her other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks. For more information about Amy, or to schedule a school visit or teacher workshop, visit her website.

Please join me in welcoming Amy Ludwig VanDerwater 
to the Today's Little Ditty spotlight.

Living out in the country, it's not surprising that Amy is inspired by nature. The driving force behind both FOREST HAS A SONG and EVERY DAY BIRDS—her latest book with illustrator Dylan Metrano—has been to share that sense of wonder with others. (Find out more about the beginnings of EVERY DAY BIRDS here.)

EVERY DAY BIRDS
Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic
(February 23, 2016)  ISBN: 978-0545699808
On shelves now.  Order your copy HERE.

Last year's babies, almost ready to fly.

Waiting for eggs
(Looks like our holiday wreath
will be up for a while!)

My every day experience with birds is focused primarily on the little cuties that nest in whatever wreath happens to be hanging on our front door. Sure, it's an inconvenience, but you can't beat the free concerts or the experience of watching nature take its course. We also share the neighborhood with cardinals, crows, turkey vultures, occasional hawks and woodpeckers, and lots of other birds I don't know the names of.



Where my knowledge is lacking, Amy's is not. EVERY DAY BIRDS hopes to share the joy of birdwatching with even the youngest, 2-5 year old ornithologists. (Although, truth be told, this not-so-young beginner learned a thing or two, as well!) Amy has chosen her subjects carefully to ensure that these are birds children are likely to recognize in their daily lives, making this Junior Library Guild Selection an ideal choice for home, classrooms, or library storytime.

Opening the book, we are welcomed with

Every day we watch for birds
weaving through our sky.
We listen to their calls and songs.
We like to see them fly.

made captivating by the talent of papercutting artist Dylan Metrano:

Text from Every Day Birds written by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater. Illustrations copyright 2016 by Dylan Metrano.
Used with permission from Scholastic Press. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Continuing on in that rhyming format, twenty common North American birds are introduced, one per page, along with a signature characteristic for each. The accompanying cut-paper illustrations are striking, bringing the birds to bold, beautiful life in a truly compelling fashion. (Be sure to check out Dylan Metrano's process of creating the art for EVERY DAY BIRDS.) The whole poem is repeated at the back, followed by a closing section with additional facts about each bird family to continue the learning.

Described as "beginning birding at its best..." by Kirkus Reviews and "a great way to expose children to the wonders of nature, many of which are in their own backyards" by School Library Journal, EVERY DAY BIRDS should be in the hands of every child who is curious about the world around them. (And what child isn't?)

At this point, I imagine you're pretty curious to know more about Amy, so let's get started with the interview.

Had I known when I sent her interview questions that "choosing favorites" was among the few things she doesn't like, I might not have started this interview with the usual five favorites. Fortunately, Amy was kind enough to oblige nonetheless.

I personify most everything, so I don’t have many favorites because I fear hurting the feelings of unchosen foods, colors, and animals.  But here are a few things I love:

FAVORITE TEACHER IN SCHOOL:
One who still lives in my heart is Mr. Fron from sixth grade. He lived in his own way and through his example I came to understand that different can be wonderful.  I wrote an essay about him HERE.

FAVORITE FOOD:
Popcorn, cooked in oil on my stovetop with real butter and salt. Or raspberries.  Or red licorice.

FAVORITE SOUND:
Maybe rain.  Maybe the silence of snow.

The VanDerwater family home away from home.
                                                        Photo: Mark VanDerwater

FAVORITE 
VACATION SPOT:
My husband’s family’s little cabin in the Adirondacks, tucked in the woods on a creek with a pink granite bed.  Grandpa and Grandma VanDerwater built this humble building with materials they found, and I love to remember them as I watch our children and their cousins ride inner tubes down the creek.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Then it is only kindness that makes any sense anymore...” 

– from Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem, “Kindness.”

What drives you to create books for children and what aspects of your career do you enjoy the most?

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

I think that I write for children because I write for myself, and I still feel so much like a child.  Puff the Magic Dragon is really alive for me.  I am seven.

I also love the surprises that come through writing, trusting and finding that an idea will always come out to play if only I am patient enough to coax it onto the page.  Too, it is an honor when a child tells me that s/he cared about something I wrote.  Connections.  I love connections.



You live in an old farmhouse on 24 acres of land. While this sounds idyllic on one hand, on the other, I know it must involve a tremendous amount of upkeep. You also lead the busy life of a mom caring for three active teenagers. How do you fit writing into your daily routine at Heart Rock Farm?

"Our porch in summer.  You can see Pickles the cat sleeping
on the table.  We have cats everywhere!" – Amy LV
(click photo to enlarge)

I am a pretty casual housekeeper, a random cook, and a spotty gardener.  We all eat dinner together nightly, but as I put my family and friends first and my writing second, dinner may involve a strange assortment of foods.  While daily life is not always lovely or conventional, I am at peace with making choices around what I most value: people and words.


Keeping notebooks is a passion of yours. You’ve said that you often use them to “write your way into a poem.” Can you elaborate on that process?

"Keeping notebooks has taught me
that our whole world is one big nest
of ideas." –Amy LV on No Water River

Quite often, I have no idea what to write.  So I just write about whatever comes to mind, skipping around the page and my life, sniffing for a scent that might take me off on a chase.  If I write long enough, something shows up.  It is all about trust and surprise.






What about EVERY DAY BIRDS makes you happiest?

My husband Mark is very knowledgeable about birds, so much more so than I am.  Since we have been married, he has fed the birds in our yard, and he has taught our children and me about various birds and their habits.  Learning about birds has added a magical layer to my own life, and I most hope that EVERY DAY BIRDS will pass this enchantment on to other children and parents too.

Feathered friends at Heart Rock Farm.
"Learning about birds has added a magical layer to my own life..."  
– Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Dylan Metrano’s cut paper illustrations are magnificent. They bring birds to exquisite life on the pages; I’m thrilled to have had my words paired with Dylan’s talent.

Text from Every Day Birds written by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.
Illustrations copyright 2016 by Dylan Metrano.
Used with permission from Scholastic Press. (Click to enlarge.)

Which of the birds described in EVERY DAY BIRDS is your favorite?

I just love chickadees.  I have a chickadee poem in FOREST HAS A SONG, and I laugh to say that I want a chickadee in every book I ever write.  They are small and hearty, brave and friendly, and I want to hug them.

Text from Every Day Birds written by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.
Illustrations copyright 2016 by Dylan Metrano.
Used with permission from Scholastic Press. (Click to enlarge.)

The Worldwide Association of Rhymesters and Bird-Labeling Enthusiasts (WARBLE) is considering a new classification of bird called the VanDerwater. Please describe her signature characteristics.

You are funny!  This bird has a happy song and a messy nest.


Can you give us a hint about what's coming up next for you?

In Fall of 2017, Wordsong will publish my poetry collection READ! READ! READ!, to be illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke.  Next up is a picture book with Boyds Mills Press titled DREAMING OF YOU, a poetry collection with Clarion titled WITH MY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT MAKING THINGS, and another picture book still in the works.  I also have a book for teachers on the way, and contract details are being finalized on that now.  I feel very lucky.

"Ada wrote a poem in honor of birds."
– Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

If you had all the world’s children in one room, what would you tell them?

There is a lot of goodness in this world.  Let’s be part of it.

 










Finally, what you have chosen as this month’s ditty challenge?

Small as a Chickadee: 
Write a poem about something small, an animal or object you see every day and do not usually give much thought.

Read Amy's poem about a chickadee at The Poem Farm.      Photo: Amy LV

A chickaDEELIGHTFUL ditty challenge! 
                  I cannot wait to see what small treasures land in my inbox.

Many thanks to Amy for today's interview, and also for generously providing a personalized copy of EVERY DAY BIRDS to one lucky DMC participant, chosen randomly at the end of the month.


HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Throughout the month send your poems about small things to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.

For children under 13 who would like to participate, please read my COPPA compliance statement located below the contact form.

Some poems may be published on the blog as daily ditties, but all of them will appear in a wrap-up celebration on March 25, 2016.


BLOGGER FRIENDS:
Thank you for publishing your poems on your own blogs– I love that!  Please also remember to send me a copy of your poem or a direct link to your post. That way I know I have your permission to post your poem on Today's Little Ditty.


Thanks again to those who participated in last month's challenge brought to us by David L. Harrison. It warmed my heart to be surrounded by so much dittylove!

Random.org has determined that the winner of a copy of NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON'T: Poems About Creatures That Hide by David L. Harrison, with illustrations by Giles Laroche is:

MINDY GARS DOLANDIS —Congratulations, Mindy!

If you missed my review of FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market earlier this week, you can find it HERE.

Get your inspiration recharged at the Poetry Friday roundup.  It's hosted this week by Linda Baie at TeacherDance.